The quality of groundwater resources around auto-mechanic workshop enclaves in Ghana

Abstract

Water  is  one  of  the  most  indispensable  resources  and  is  the  elixir  of life. Water   constitutes about 70% of the body weight of almost all living organism.   It serves as the medium for  both  chemical  and  biochemical reactions  and  also  as  an  internal  and  external  media  for  several  organisms. About 97.2% of  water  on  earth  is   saline  and  only 2.8% is  present  as  fresh  water. Out of the about two percent freshwater resources, about 74% is found in icecaps, icebergs and glaciers. About 25% of earth’s freshwater resources are found in rock fractures below the ground surface (groundwater) leaving less than one percent for surface water resources. Some human activities such as construction, farming, quarrying, sand winning, logging and the like have threatened the sources of major water bodies. The groundwater resources have become threatened by the dumping of waste materials in excavated pits. With the availability of freshwater becoming a major global challenge, this research aims at assessing the quality of hand-dug wells around auto-mechanic enclaves in Ghana. The research considered the physico-chemical and microbiological compliance of the water from these hand-dug wells to water quality standards. Through site visits, interviews and laboratory analyses of samples, the research revealed that the pH, conductivity, temperature of the samples were within approved standards. Due to the presence of coliforms in the samples, it is recommended that the hand-dug wells should be treated regularly to prevent an epidemic.